Redesigning the heartbeat of Downtown has been pondered for so long that it nearly was forgotten until recent announcements sparked renewed interest and curiosity.
24 Months to Go
If the creek doesnt rise in the next 2 years, a glamourous 3-story mixed-use building will rise in what is commonly called the outdoor parking lot of Trader Joes.
The top two floors of the 115,000-square foot building are expected to be rented to studio types.
Valets will park cars underground, and other patrons will be referred to nearby parking structures.
Five of the 7 businesses planned for the ground floor have been identified
Peets Coffee,
A French tablecloth restaurant known as Second City Bistro, presently in El Segundo,
Pharmica, a holistic pharmacy,
Front Row Grill, a sports bar, and
Active Ride, a higher end sports clothing and equipment store.
For the first few months of the projected 2-year process, however, the biggest change some say inconvenience will be the reconfiguring of Washington Boulevard, not only to accommodate the new Culver Studios structure but to enlarge the present, modest-sized Towne Plaza.
Planners and dreamers foresee it as a European-style plaza or popular gathering place where all manner of pedestrians freely, happily roam.
Construction on the massive reshaping is scheduled to begin Monday morning.
Just Before Turkey Day
Two and a half months from now a few days, a few hours before Thanksgiving the portion of Washington Boulevard that bends south and east in front of The Culver Hotel will be forever closed off.
Instead, traffic will be rerouted due east on Culver Boulevard.
The half-block between Main Street and Trader Joes will become a 2-way street. The one-way street that runs along the west side of Trader Joes will be converted into a 2-way street called Washington Boulevard. East- and south-bound drivers who want to continue east on Washington Boulevard will use this connector.
